VIF Information Alerts - 22th August 2018

Japan wants Sri Lanka's Hambantota to be military free

Published: Business Standard
22 Aug 2018

Japan wants Sri Lanka's southern Hambantota port to be "free of military activities", the visiting Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onedera has said amid concerns in the region over the leasing of the facility to China. Onedera, who arrived here yesterday, is the first Japanese defence minister ever to visit Sri Lanka. His visit comes amid the regional concerns over growing Chinese influence in Sri Lanka. Click here to read... [2]

Japan to deploy fleet of warships to Indian Ocean

Published: UPI
21 Aug 2018

Japan will soon deploy a large helicopter carrier and two escort ships of the nation's maritime self-defense force to the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, according to the Nikkei and Kyodo News. Adm. Yutaka Murakawa, chief of staff for the maritime self-defense force, said Tuesday at a regular press briefing the 814-foot-long Kaga, which can operate multiple helicopters at the same time, will be part of a fleet that includes two other naval vessels. Click here to read... [3]

Malaysia cancels Belt and Road Initiative projects over bankruptcy fears

Published: The Sunday Morning Herald
21 Aug 2018

Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has told China's leaders he was cancelling a controversial rail project in order to reduce Malaysia's debts. Malaysian newspaper The New Straits Times reported that Dr Mahathir said the East Coast Rail Link and a gas pipeline project would be cancelled. Click here to read... [4]

Nepal to hold talks with China on energy cooperation

Published: Financial Express
22 Aug 2018

The Nepal government has formed a seven-member committee to hold talks with China to implement an agreement on energy cooperation, a senior official said. The two countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the visit of Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to China in June. ”. The Nepali team will be co-chaired by Anup Kumar Upadhyay, secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI),” Dinesh Ghimire, spokesperson at the MoEWRI told Xinhua on Tuesday. Click here to read... [5]

European lawmakers to slap economic embargo on Maldives

Published: Business Standard
22 Aug 2018

A group of European officials, including the Members of European Parliament (MEP), have threatened to impose economic and other sanctions on the Maldives as the present regime fails to hold free and fair federal elections, scheduled for September 23 this year.

The five European officials, who recently visited Male, include MEPs Tomas Zdechovsky, Maria Gabriela Zoana and Ryzsard Czarnecki, Henri Malosse, the 30th President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and Madi Sharma, a British EESC representative. Click here to read... [6]